BURLINGTON — Sen. Bernard Sanders, I-Vt., is hosting his third State of the Union essay contest for the state’s high school students.

Sanders says the contest is meant to engage students on the major issues facing the country.

He says he hopes the contest will provide an opportunity for students to explore current issues in depth, and will help develop their critical thinking about some of the problems facing the nation.

During the past two years, more than 500 Vermont students have written essays about topics such as the declining middle class, climate change, health care reform and the rising cost of a college education.